Top Stories
Blue Origin Wins $700 Million Contract to Build NASA’s Next Mars Orbiter
NASA has selected Blue Origin for a $700 million contract to develop its next Mars orbiter, which will serve as a communications relay and science platform, replacing aging infrastructure.
Russia’s Rassvet Constellation Struggling to Reach Operational Orbit
None of the 32 Rassvet satellites launched this year have achieved their intended 800 km altitude. Issues persist with the propulsion reliability as some satellites remain stalled.
Army Awards First-Ever Laser Weapon Production Contract: $465M to AeroVironment
The U.S. Army has granted AeroVironment a $464.8 million contract for its laser counter-drone systems, marking the first production contract for a directed-energy weapon.
Astroscale Selects Isar Aerospace for First Orbital Debris Capture and Removal Mission
Astroscale Japan has selected Isar Aerospace to launch its ADRAS-J2 mission aimed at capturing and deorbiting space debris left from past launches.
Army Awards $192M to Palantir and Anduril for TITAN Intelligence System Production
Palantir and Anduril have received $192 million in contracts for the Tactical Intelligence Targeting Access Node (TITAN), set to enhance Army intelligence capabilities.
SpaceX Launches Starlink on Record-Setting 35th Flight of a Single Booster
A Falcon 9 rocket successfully delivered another batch of Starlink satellites, marking a record 35th flight for a single booster.
Toyohiro Akiyama, First Japanese Citizen in Space, Dies at 84
Toyohiro Akiyama, who became the first Japanese citizen in space, has passed away. He was known for his candid reporting from the Mir space station.
Satellite of the Day
INTELSAT 14 (IS-14) – Launched in 2009, it carries 62 transponders and is now beyond its 16-year design life.
By the Numbers
- Active satellites tracked: 15,933
- Cataloged debris objects: 14,906
- New objects cataloged yesterday: 56
- Orbital launches this year: 208 (201 successful)
- Next launch: GSLV Mk II | GISAT-1A in about 12 hours (Sep 3, 21:25 UTC)
Catalog Watch
Space-Track cataloged 56 new objects recently.
New catalog entries include:
Reentry Watch
- COSMOS 1030 DEB – predicted decay Sep 3, 14:13 UTC
- STARLINK-1595 – predicted decay Sep 4, 18:54 UTC
- STARLINK-2159 – predicted decay Sep 5, 14:03 UTC
- …and more
Upcoming Space Launches
Schedule Changes
- Newly added: Long March 2D/YZ-3 on Sep 9, 09:00 UTC.
- Slipped: Electron launch moved to Sep 2, 12:01 UTC.
- Status change: Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 15-23 is “Launch Successful”.
Next 48 Hours
- GSLV Mk. II – GISAT-1A on Sep 3, 21:25 UTC.
- Isar Aerospace Spectrum – Onward and Upward on Sep 4, 20:00 UTC.
Watch Live for GISAT-1A
Watch Live for Isar Aerospace
Note: Launch dates and times are subject to change.
